Tesla Promises to End Range Anxiety, Did They Find a Little Blue Pill?

Many people think about buying an electric car, but one of the biggest things that quickly has them changing their minds is range anxiety. We want our cars to go a long way before we’re forced to stop. That’s not a problem with a gas car, but with an electric it’s a very big issue. Tesla is promising an end to all that with an upcoming software update.

Tesla already boasts an impressive range with the Model S 85 getting 265 miles per charge. Compare this to the opposite end of the spectrum with the Smart ForTwo at 68 miles per charge and the Ford Focus at an only slightly better 76. You’d think this would make people very happy, but it still has them worried.

It might be enough to get people back and forth to the office and even run some errands along the way, but it’s nowhere near the kind of range you’ll get in a gas vehicle. Adding to the problem is the issue of where to recharge your car.

There’s a gas station on every corner and signs along highways letting you know when there’s a particularly long stretch of road without somewhere to gas up. That’s just not the case with electric charging stations.

Once you do find one, you’re then faced with waiting it out while the car charges. On a long trip, no one wants to sit in a rest area and kill time, but if you’re driving an electric you don’t have a choice.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is now tweeting the news that all of that is about to change.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/577100755427061760

That’s a pretty bold promise and one that leaves a lot of questions. He’s promising to “end range anxiety” as though he’s found the little blue pill for electric cars.

Tesla has already installed a network of superchargers across the United States that make it easier to cross the country, but they are still few and far between compared to gas stations. If your goal is just crossing the country with no particular stops in mind, that’s fine. Should you want to wander off the beaten path, then things are a bit more challenging.

Whatever software update Tesla has planned will roll out over the air so no one will need to come in for any physical modifications to their cars. The update will also affect the whole Model S range. We’ll have to wait until Thursday to find out exactly how this works, but it looks like Tesla owners can expect their little blue pill to arrive any day.